Gymnastiekend vrouwelijk naakt c. 1915s - 1925s

Isaac Israels made this pencil drawing of a nude female gymnast at an unknown date. It is held at the Rijksmuseum. The drawing can be understood in the context of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period when traditional academic art was being challenged by new artistic movements. There was a growing interest in depicting modern life and the human form in a more naturalistic way. Here, the nude is not a classical ideal but a modern woman, captured with loose and informal strokes. Israels was associated with the Amsterdam Impressionism movement, which focused on capturing everyday life and urban scenes. This drawing reflects a progressive attitude towards the human body, moving away from academic conventions. Art historians consult sketchbooks and archival materials to better understand the context in which an artwork was made. By studying these resources, we can better understand the meaning of art as something contingent on social context.